Age discrimination
Age discrimination or Ageism is stereotyping and prejudice against individuals or groups because of their age. Effects Discrimination Ageism commonly refers towards negative discriminatory practices, regardless of the age towards which it is applied. The following terms are subsidiary forms of ageism: *Adultism is a predisposition towards adults, which is seen as biased against children, youth, and all young people who aren't addressed or viewed as adults.Lauter And Howe (1971) Conspiracy of the Young. Meridian Press. *Jeunism is the tendency to prefer young people over older people. This includes political candidacies, commercial functions, and cultural settings where the supposed greater vitality and/or physical beauty of youth is more appreciated than the supposed greater moral and/or intellectual rigor of adulthood. *Adultcentricism is the "exaggerated egocentrism of adults.De Martelaer, K., De Knop, P., Theeboom, M., and Van Heddegem, L. (2000) "The UN Convention as a Basis for Elaborating Rights of Children In Sport," Journal of Leisurability. 27(2), pp. 3-10. *Adultocracy is the social convention which defines "maturity" and "immaturity," placing adults in a dominant position over young people, both theoretically and practically.(n.d.) Youth Liberation Z'' magazine. *Gerontocracy is a form of oligarchical rule in which an entity is ruled by leaders who are significantly older than most of the adult population. *Chronocentrism is primarily the belief that a certain state of humanity is superior to all previous and/or former times. Ageism is said to lead towards the development of fears towards age groups, particularly: *Pedophobia, the fear of infants and children *Ephebiphobia, the fear of youth.Fletcher, A. (2006) ''Washington Youth Voice Handbook. CommonAction. *Gerontophobia, the fear of elderly people.Branch, L., Harris, D. & Palmore, E.B. (2005) Encyclopedia of Ageism. Haworth Press. ISBN 078901890X Employment Age discrimination can be very costly in economic terms. It is estimated that it costs the UK economy £31 billion every year. In a survey of 1,000 UK workers aged 50 to 64 years conducted in 2008 {Citation}}, *38% said they planned to carry on working beyond 65. Currently only 11% of the workforce work beyond state pension age *People in the UK aged 50+ have 30% more disposable income than the under 50's *90% of older employees believe that employers discriminate against them *For the first time in 2006 there were more 55-64 year olds than 16-24 year olds *By 2011, under 16's will make up only 18% of the population compared with 23% in 1961 *By November 2007, 27% of the UK's 29.4M work force were over 50. Discrimination Against Younger Workers Like race and gender discrimination, age discrimination, at least when it affects younger workers, can result in unequal pay for equal work. Unlike race and gender discrimination, age discrimination in wages is often enshrined in law. For example, in both the United StatesQuestions and Answers About the Minimum Wage, US Department of Labor and the United KingdomAge Positive, Department for Work and Pensions in Sheffield and London minimum wage laws allow for employers to pay lower wages to young workers. Many state and local minimum wage laws mirror such an age-based tiered minimum wage. Outside of the law, older workers, on average, make more than younger workers do. Firms may be afraid to offer older workers lower wages than younger workers. Labor regulations also limit the age at which someone is allowed to work and how many hours and under what conditions they may work. In the United States you must generally be 14 to seek a job, and face additional restrictions on your work until 16.Youth & Labor - Age Requirements, US Department of Labor Many companies refuse to hire workers under 18. Discrimination Against Older Workers According to an ICM poll for Age Concern, nearly one third of people know someone who has been a victim of age discrimination at work. Another one in ten people said that they have experienced discrimination by the NHS or health insurance companies, or been turned down for financial products because of their age. *Director Paul Weitz reported he wrote the 2004 film, In Good Company to reveal how ageism affects youth and adults.Hellerman, A. (2005) Working Solo in Good Company Writers Guild of America, East website. *In 2002 The Freechild Project created an information and training initiative to provide resources to youth organizations and schools focused on youth rights.(n.d.) Survey of North American Youth Rights The Freechild Project website. Accusations of Ageism * The television show Thirtysomething has been singled out for being ageist towards middle-aged adults. * In a recent interview, famed actor Pierce Brosnan cited ageism as one of the contributing factors as to why he was not cast as James Bond in the Bond film Casino Royale, released in 2006.Cox, J. (2006) Brosnan Bares All For Playboy See also * Affirmative action * Aged (attitudes toward) * Effects of Ageing * Aging (attitudes toward) * Aging brain * Age expectancy * Allophilia * Civil rights * Employment discrimination * Memory and aging * Prejudice * Ephebiphobia * Pedophobia * Gerontophobia * Gerontocracy * Social criticism References External links *2005 issue of the Journal of Social Issues Thematic journal issue devoted to empirical and theoretical research on ageism. *Ageism In America Detailed report on ageism from the International Longevity Center. *Ageism: Stereotyping and Prejudice Against Older Persons Edited scholarly volume of the latest research and theory on Ageism. *Article on Older Drivers. *An in-depth look at ageism by Linda M. Woolfe, Ph.D., of Webster University *Everyone deserves to be given a chance An essay against ageism towards teenagers, written by a Canadian adolescent. *Age discrimination laws by the BBC Category:Ageism Category:Aging Category:Prejudice and discrimination Category:Phobias Category:Human rights Category:isms Category:Social discrimination